OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE USS LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, INC. • ESTABLISHED MAY 14–18, 1991, NORFOLK,VA • AUGUST 2009 ISSUE #68 IN THIS ISSUE: The Portland Reunion | New Directions for the Association | Great Sea Stories And More! “THE ELSIE ITEM” Number 68 • August 2009 Official Newsletter of the USS LCI National Association, a non-profit veteran’s organization. Membership in the USS LCI National Association is open to any U. S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served aboard a Landing Craft Infantry. Affiliate membership, without voting privileges, is offered to others. Published quarterly by the USS LCI National Association. John P. Cummer, Editor. Any material for possible publication should be sent to the Editor, preferably by email ([email protected]) or by regular mail to 302 Pinewood Cottage Lane, Blythewood, SC, 29016 On the Cover: With magnificent Mount Hood in the background, LCI 713 rests at the dock of the Red Lion on the River, Portland, Oregon. Photo by Joe Flynn CHECK OUT THESE WEBSITES: www.usslci.com Our own website www.amphibiousforces.com For information on the 713 and Tiny’s Ships Stores YOUR DUES ARE DUE! It’s that time again! 2009–2010 dues for all regular and affiliate members are due at the time of our annual reunion. Your support in keeping our Association going will be greatly appreciated by all your shipmates and their families...and we’re sure you’ll want to keep on receiving Elsie Item. Annual dues are $25.00. Please note: Beginning this year we are asking Life Members also to pay annual dues. (See page 9.) Please make your check out to “USS LCI National Association “ and mail it to: USS LCI National Association c/o Nehemiah Communications, Inc. 101 Rice Bent Way, #6 Columbia, SC 29229 2 From the Editor/President Our Portland reunion was just about everything we wanted it to be—great fellowship with our shipmates, beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, the 713 right there at the dock, one of the most impressive memorial services we have had, vigorous and encouraging discussion at the business meet- ing with some sound plans being made for the future, and all of this was topped off with a great banquet. Attendance was good—275 registered. You’ll find Joe Flynn’s account and pictures of the reunion in this issue. We were delighted at the number of sea stories submitted in response to our chal- lenge to see if you could “top this”. You’ll find a number of them in this issue. They will, we are sure, enforce the conviction we have that sailors are among the greatest story tellers in the world! We’ll look for more from you. On Tuesday, July 7th, our new Chaplain Mike Gatton and I met with Dave Miller, President, and Ed Stevens, Vice President, of the LSM/LSMR Association. We met at the Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati to work on plans for our joint reunion planned for August 25-29, 2010. It was a time of getting acquainted with each other and of working out details for our first joint reunion. We found that there were many simi- larities in our two associations and, as we worked out details, found it not difficult to come at agreement. We also met with representatives of the Millennium Hotel. They were most helpful and we believe that the hotel will be a very good place for our first joint reunion. I must add that Mike Gatton’s extensive experience and com- mitment to our Association was a positive factor and I was very glad to have him there. In addition to our sea stories in this issue, we have several articles that we think you will find interesting. Have a good read! —John Cummer 3 A Memorable Reunion Boarding the Stern Wheeler for the . .and boarding the Spirit of Portland for LCI 713—The Star of the Show! Columbia River Gorge Cruise our Dinner Cruise The Officers Prepare for the Memorial Service L to R: Steve Dudrow, Hal Bleyhl, Joe Flynn, David Cox, Jim Talbert LCIers gather for the Memorial Service with the 713 in the background A beautiful day for a memorable occasion Recipients of Presidential Unit Citation L to R: Dick Churchill, LCI 457; John Crunkelton, LCI 80; Robert Devinney, LCI 457; Piper Geoffrey Frasier plays “Amazing Rob Knutson, LCI 564; John Stilley, LCI 726; Royal Wetzel, LCI 70; Larry Hermes, LCI 471 Grace” and “Flowers of the Field” Dr. Charles Crandall, LCI 471; John Reulet, LCI 70 4 Portland Reunion – A Great Success! By Joe Flynn The USS LCI National Association Reunion in Portland attended by some 275 LCI sailors, wives, guests and family came off without a hitch. The weather was great; it rained a little on Wednesday when only the hospitality room was scheduled. Then it cleared, warmed up and hit a record setting 85 degrees on Saturday. This year the 713 was at the Red Lion dock visible from most rooms and had a steady stream of visitors. Thursday, a bus tour headed up the Colombia River Gorge where guests boarded a sternwheeler for a round trip up the river to the Bonneville Dam. Then it was on to the bus and back to the hotel. Authors Bill and Sandra McGee were in the hospitality room for most of reunion with a display of their books, The Amphibians are Coming, The Solomon’s Campaign, and their new publication, The Pacific Express. The last book made its debut at the Reunion, and in a pre-publication special the McGee’s and their publisher have offered the book to LCI members at a 30% discount. The Thursday a meeting of Affiliates had a good turnout; 15 interested Affiliates willing to put their name on the line to get involved. John Cummer welcomed the group and told them they had the full backing of the Association, stressing the need for affiliates to take leadership roles in the Association. John France, Vice President and European Theater Historian, and Dennis Blocker, Texas Director and Pacific Theater Historian, shared their experience in covering gathering, and preserving LCI history --Joe Flynn, California Director and Board member spoke on efforts he has found successful for sharing LCI history through news articles and working with teachers and pro- fessors to et LCI history into the schools. Friday the group toured downtown Portland and the Pearson Air Museum, a WW II Army Air Corps field across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. In the evening a dinner cruise left from downtown Portland for another boat ride. We enjoyed a scenic cruise up the Willamette River, a great dinner and musical entertainment from the cruise crew. Saturday was a busy day. The business meeting was well attended and a lot of key items dis- cussed. (John Cummer covers this topic elsewhere in this issue.) At 1 PM Saturday, the LCI sailors, wives and families gathered for a memorable Memorial Service outdoors on the riverfront side of the hotel with the USS LCI (L)713 at the dock. Flags were flying, behind the presenters and in front of the attendees. The ceremony opened with Amazing Grace played by Bagpiper Geoffrey Frasier. After President Cummer welcomed everyone the ceremony opened with a call to worship by Chaplain Mike Gatton and the invocation led by Chaplain David Cox. In keeping with Portland’s recognition as the “City of Roses”, Rev. Gatton created a ceremony of roses with each color rose signifying different qualities. Members of the Board took part in this ceremony. Piper Frasier then played a traditional Scottish pipe tune played at memorial services, Flowers of the Field. This was followed by a litany of remembrance and a message from Rev. Gatton. We then honored the memory of our shipmates who have sailed west this year. As each name was read aloud the ship’s bell was tolled and shipmates and family members stood in memory of their 5 loved one. As the reading of names finished, a bugler, stationed on the bow of 713, played Taps. Rev. Cox pronounced the final benediction as a wreath was placed aboard the 713. Many commented, “This was the best memorial service we ever had.” The evening banquet, a fitting climax to our reunion, was opened with the posting of colors by a color guard from Vancouver VFW Post 7824. Following a delicious meal, President Cummer and other Board members led us in the traditional toasts to the Commander-in-Chief, our fallen comrades and the United States Navy and Coast Guard. Special recognition was given to the volunteers who have been working on the restoration of the 713. Sue Cosper, daughter of Phil Cosper, Captain of LCI #481, and husband Rick Holmes were singled out for their outstanding contribution with the presentation of a Presidential Recognition Plaque. Other plaques for similarly outstanding service were presented to Hal Bleyhl, John France and Dennis Blocker. And in a turnabout, President John Cummer was then surprised by Chairman of the Board Jim Talbert with a plaque in appreciation of his efforts to preserve and pass on to the next generation the history of LCIs and of the USS LCI National Association. The assembled guests then had an opportunity to hear keynote speaker, military historian and author Bill McGee. Bill was working in a Portland shipyard when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He then enlisted in the Navy and served aboard merchant vessels as part the Navy Armed Guard. Author of ten volumes, he is best known and appreciated by LCI sailors for his book The Amphibians are Coming, one of the few histories of the LCI’s in the Pacific Campaign.